Clear Caption - Free Phone Program for Hearing Impaired

ClearCaptions is a free government phone program that provides phone captioning service for those with hearing loss. The program is certified by the Federal Communications Commission and therefore maintains a high level of security and privacy on all calls.

This service is free to residents of the US and it's territories who suffer with “professionally-certified” hearing loss. There’s a Professional Certification form on their website that must be completed by a healthcare professional to prove you are eligible for the service.

What ClearCaptions Offers

ClearCaptions offers its services on both home phones and mobile phones as outlined below:

Home Phone Captioning Service

The home phone service provides an easy-to-read touchscreen display. The display is customizable so you can adjust the size and color for better readability. You can also adjust the speed of the captions.

It has a built-in speakerphone which allows for hands-free calling.

As with most phones, the ClearCaptions phone has an answering machine or voicemail capability. The beauty of this phone, however, is the messages are captioned, so you can read the messages instead of having to listen to them.

The only requirement is having a high-speed internet connection. As discussed elsewhere on this site, if you qualify for either Lifeline and/or the Affordable Connectivity Program, high-speed internet is provided for free.

ClearCaptions can provide the service either via an internet phone or a landline. You will not have to change your home phone number to use the service. Their Blue home phone will work seamlessly with your current home service. However, if you’re using VoIP, you must contact them because they do not support transferring (porting) phone numbers.

Mobile Phone Captioning Service

Currently, ClearCaptions’ mobile app is only available on iPhones and iPads with iOS version 12.0 or higher. According to their website, as of February 2023, the Android version is coming soon. To use the service you must download and install the app.

As with the landline, the captioned conversation will display on the screen. You have the option to change the font sizes and colors. On mobile phones, you have the option to save the captioned conversations to view them later.

Be aware, however, that to use ClearCaptions service on your mobile device, the calls must come through the personalized phone number that ClearCaptions provides you. Fortunately, you don’t have to change your mobile number. You can automatically forward your calls to the ClearCaptions phone number. If you’re unsure how to do that, ClearCaptions will help you.

Calls forwarded through to the ClearCaptions number will not be captioned. Only those calls made directly to or from the personalized number will be captioned.

Continued Use

If your personalized number is not used for a period of two months, ClearCaptions may disable the number. When they do that, they reclaim it and may give it to another qualified customer. However, if you want to use the captioned service again, you may sign up again, but more than likely you’ll be assigned a new number.

Helpful Videos

Fortunately, ClearCaptions has several helpful videos to assist customers transition to their service. Whether you choose the Home Phone or Mobile option, there are videos for you.

If you prefer one-on-one assistance, call them at 866-868-8695. or email at information[at]clearcaptions[dot]com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: This site was created to help people find information about free government phones. The ower of this site does not mail, activate or repair free government phones nor provide phone service. If you have questions about phone service it is suggested that you contact the phone service provider directly.

Last Modified: 21 February 2023